|
|
Article: A Military Myth: The vaunted Yugoslav Army doesn't live up to the reputation it won after opposing Hitler and Stalin.(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Newsweek International
- Article date:
- May 3, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Newsweek, Inc. All rights reserved. Any reuse, distribution or alteration without express written permission of Newsweek is prohibited. For permission: www.newsweek.com. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
The last time someone tried to invade their country, the Yugoslavs fought them to a standstill, tying up dozens of Nazi divisions for the duration of World War II. After the war and the break with Stalin, Josip Broz Tito trained his army in partisan tactics to wage a guerrilla-style war against a superior invading force. It is this heritage that makes Yugoslavia such a tough opponent in a ground war. Or so the Yugoslavs want to believe. Like many self-glorifying military traditions, this one is mostly myth. If NATO invades Yugoslavia on the ground, it will face an army led by demoralized officers, manned largely by reluctant short-term conscripts and trained in static ...